


and you know how (i like dancing on thin ice)

by photogenic



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fluff, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Slice of Life, and by gratuitous i mean in the title and one scene, completely SFW, gratuitous references to young and free, mentions of jaeyong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-04 18:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14599569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/photogenic/pseuds/photogenic
Summary: Lee Donghyuck absolutely rued the day he presented because the dumbasses claiming heats were just “bad, but bearable” were absolute fucking liars.Lee Donghyuck was also known to exaggerate.





	and you know how (i like dancing on thin ice)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SlimeQueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlimeQueen/gifts).



> here it is, and hella late! it took me five whole days to write and i'm :< but anyway. this is my second fic and my first nct fic, and i've been wanting to write one for a while but i never felt satisfied. (tbfh i'm still iffy about this whole thing but i had to post it because i said i would)
> 
> it's unbetaed and unedited so please do tell me if there are typos or inconsistencies i missed!
> 
> edited: 3/12/2019  
> i tried to fix the grammar and flow of the words and added some stuff, but everything else should still be the same.

_Whose brilliant idea was it to give omegas monthly heats?_ Donghyuck thought miserably as he curled up under his blankets. He had already tried to sleep it off, but unfortunately, it was never as simple as that. There was a limit to how much sleep you could get, and Donghyuck went to bed early enough as it was. Five or six in the afternoon was far earlier than he usually went to sleep. By the time he woke up, light was already filtering through the curtains, so he knew it was morning.  
  
The omega padded out of his room, the tempting smell of breakfast immediately assaulting his overly sensitive nose. _Breakfast. Mm._ Donghyuck could really go for some sustenance right about now.

He poked his head into the kitchen. Taeyong and Jaehyun were humming a song together—Baby Don’t Like It, if his ears didn’t deceive him—as Taeyong was cooking omelettes on the stove and Jaehyun cut up the ingredients for more.  
  
It was ridiculously domestic. Donghyuck couldn’t imagine himself ever doing that with a significant other; he’d sooner burn the kitchen down, cooking expertise be damned.  
  
Taeyong and Jaehyun must have smelled the younger omega before they saw him because both of them looked up at him as he entered. Or maybe less smelled _him_ and more his _heat pheromones_. “Morning, Hyuck. How are you feeling?” Taeyong greeted warmly, reaching out to ruffle the maknae’s hair fondly as said boy crept closer to watch the omelettes cook.

  
Donghyuck rubbed his eyes sleepily, the heat having taken away most of his usual energy. “Morning, Taeyong-hyung, Jaehyun-hyung. I’m okay, I think.” His stomach chose that exact moment to growl loudly. Donghyuck flushed. “But hungry, I guess.”

  
“Breakfast will probably be ready in half an hour or so,” informed Jaehyun. “Make yourself comfortable on the couch or something. There’s ice cream in the freezer if you want it. We went and bought a tub of your favorite flavor while you were asleep.”  
  
Donghyuck thanked them both profusely, because ice cream was definitely a godsend in disguise during heat, promptly scurrying out of the kitchen with the tub of ice cream and spoon in hand. He plopped himself down on the couch.  
  
Sure, he lied about being okay—and he knew Taeyong had known he lied because Taeyong was an omega himself and obviously knew how the beginning heats were like—but he wasn’t about to complain about his heats to someone who had been having them for longer.  
  
But then again, he had Jaehyun to, er— _help_ him through his heats now. Donghyuck was still underage by law, so it wasn’t like he could even ask any alpha to help him through his own heat. Legally, at least.  
  
Not that he really wanted to, anyway. Donghyuck thought he was better off suffering for a few days than having to resort to another alpha’s knot. Taeyong had told him he’d probably see the appeal of it when he got older, to which Donghyuck had replied with a maybe, maybe not.  
  
Then Taeyong had backpedaled quickly because _like hell you’re going to do anything, you’re too young_ , and Jaehyun had then added, _if you think I’m ever letting an alpha with impure intentions even go near you, you're wrong_.  
  
Donghyuck had scowled back at them.

  
He didn’t particularly like being treated as a fragile damsel, but to be fair, they lived in a society where omegas were seen as vulnerable—mainly the fault of (most) omegas’ naturally submissive natures and how heats incapacitated omegas monthly.  
  
That was the end of that particular conversation, but for now, Donghyuck was still left feeling unbearably warm and itchy and sticky. His traitorous omega body was aching, and Donghyuck wasn’t even sure _aching_ could describe the sensation properly. The sheer discomfort wasn’t something Donghyuck could place eloquently enough into words.

  
He’d already taken four baths yesterday—two hot and two cold—but there was only so long he could stay in without pruning up like a raisin.  
  
Temperature did pretty much nothing to help, Donghyuck discovered, because he still felt warm and prickly in both the hot bath and the cold bath. The hot bath was just downright useless, for one.

But in the cold bath, Donghyuck was also stuck shivering (the only thing worse than pruny skin alone was pruny skin with _goosebumps_ ) because physically cooling down didn’t help the hot discomfort of his heat, which he now realized probably wasn’t on a physical level.

On the plus side, it did numb his body aches to some degree, and he felt much cleaner since sweat was no longer making his clothes stick to him like a vice.

The first two to three days were the worst, he was told. The remaining days following weren’t nearly as bad, but they weren’t exactly all rainbows and sunshine either. Donghyuck had only gotten his first heat about a month earlier, when he presented. It was terrible. He felt overwhelming empathy for all omegas that week—especially his hyungs who’d presented as omegas.  
  
They both told him the same thing—that the first few heats would be the worst, but he’d eventually adapt to them and learn to cope.

He’d only been informed of this the day his presentation came. For some reason, all his group members expected him to be a beta, so no one really told him about heats before his actual presentation.  
  
Only Mark kind of guessed Donghyuck was going to present as an omega. The older boy had already presented as an alpha almost a year prior, and kept asking if Donghyuck before he presented if he was using a new cologne or something days before he presented because—“Jesus Christ, Donghyuck, your _scent_ .”  
  
Donghyuck looked up from his ice cream, spoon in mouth, only to see the aforementioned boy staring down at him. The alpha’s scent washed over him.  
  
(For a reason unbeknownst to him, Mark’s scent was incredibly comforting in this hell called his monthly heat, and just—just in general. He smelled like cinnamon toast crunch and some kind of cologne and fresh laundry and _home_. But of course, Donghyuck would never say this aloud.)

  
Donghyuck gave him a flat look.  
  
“Sorry, just—it’s kind of hard getting used to smelling your heat pheromones. They’re really strong,” Mark apologized, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, a habit Donghyuck noticed he could never get rid of. “I didn’t see you at all yesterday.”  
  
“Yeah,” he affirmed with a nod, deadpanning, “maybe because I was in my room for the entire day.”  
  
Mark frowned. “Did you eat at all?”

“Nope.” Donghyuck shrugged unrepentantly, to which Mark’s frown deepened. He pursed his lips in concern. Donghyuck’s eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to them.

 

He quickly averted his eyes once he realized where they lingered. The heat was really messing with his head.

 

“That’s not good for your body,” Mark chastised casually, “especially during heat. Taeyong-hyung told me. Heats are draining, you know.”  
  
“Why does Taeyong-hyung tell you these things about heat and not me? He barely tells me anything. Maybe he ranted to me once or twice, but that’s it,” complained the omega moodily. “I’m the omega with actual heats, not you—you _alpha_.”

  
“Is that supposed to be an insult, Hyuck?” the said alpha commented wryly. “Because I don’t think _alpha_ is an insult.”

 

“Shut up, Mark. You’re being annoying,” Donghyuck grouched plaintively at Mark. “Stop bothering me.”

“That’s hyung to you,” Mark corrected mildly, a force of habit. (By now, he was already fully aware that no matter how many times he corrected Donghyuck, the younger would never fulfill the requested correction.)

“Just leave me alone already!” snapped Donghyuck, quickly shoving a large spoonful of ice cream into his mouth and grimacing because _fuck, that’s cold_.

Mark blinked placidly, hardly fazed by Donghyuck’s antics today. It was almost as if he had been expecting it from him. “If you want me to go away, I will,” the alpha said slowly, like he was walking on eggshells around him. Which was, in hindsight, probably Mark being smart like usual. Donghyuck, always easily offended during heats, took offense to it, of course.  
  
Just because he was having _heats_ now didn’t mean Mark had to treat him any differently, for fuck’s sake, thought Donghyuck sourly.

“Go away,” Donghyuck sniffed, albeit with a bit of hesitance. Deep inside, he knew he wanted Mark to stay, but at the moment, the omega was simply being petulant. Donghyuck himself knew he was being petulant too. But the quick irritation was just a side effect of his heats, and neither of them could exactly do much about it.

  
(Sure, maybe Donghyuck could make a conscious effort to be less pissy, but that was far more difficult than it sounded.)

  
As Mark gave an _alright_ and began to walk away, Donghyuck wondered poignantly if it really was alright.

 

⌯

 

After eating breakfast as quickly as he could, Donghyuck grabbed more snacks for later and locked himself back up in his room for the rest of the day, since he could. He didn’t have anything scheduled today, which was a huge blessing.

  
That night, as Donghyuck lay in his bed, he pondered over why he snapped at Mark earlier. The majority of his short temper today was obviously due to his heat, but none of the other hyungs made him want to bite their heads off. Mark wasn’t even at fault. He was always kind to Donghyuck without fail, treating him like the little brother he never had and humoring Donghyuck’s touchy-feeliness when he could, despite himself not being a touchy person. Their squabbles had been playful at most. God bless Mark’s patience too, because Donghyuck knew he could be frustrating. _Very_ frustrating. Especially during his heats, because his mean and childish streak took an all-time high.

But it was mainly because of the _pain_ . Pain wasn’t quite the word to describe it, but he couldn’t quite find a better term. However, heats were absolutely hellish, and not enough people acknowledged that, since omegas were the minority. So by default, most didn’t give a flying fuck. 65% of the world were betas, 25% were alphas, and 10% were omegas. Such luck Donghyuck had, presenting as an omega, honestly. Things would be so much easier if he had just presented as a beta like everyone originally thought he would.  
  
Right now, on top of feeling like shit, Donghyuck was also dealing with a case of ennui. There were only so many things he could do in his room. Donghyuck rolled over, reaching for his phone, which sat fully charged on his nightstand. He unplugged it and checked the time.

  
Almost 12:00AM. The hyungs were probably asleep. And if they weren’t, they were likely in their rooms. Donghyuck crept out of his own room, careful not to make any noise just in case any of his hyungs were, in fact, sleeping. He knew for a fact that some of them were light sleepers, and he really didn’t want to be on the receiving end of a scolding.

If it were anyone else, Donghyuck was sure they would probably be complained to. But since he was the maknae, he would get a flick on the forehead and a patronizing reprimand, because he was _so much younger than them, you know_.

Yeah. He did know.

There was about a 3-6 year age difference between him and the rest of them, excluding Mark who was only older by a year.

Don’t get him wrong, Donghyuck loved his hyungs, but sometimes, he wanted to feel less like a pesky dongsaeng and more like an equal.

He was sure only Mark came close in this group when it came to feeling like an equal. Except, Mark was incredibly mature for his age, so that balanced out the age difference between him and the other hyungs.

Consequently, in the end, Donghyuck still felt a little bit lonely. It was in times like these he wished he was in the Dream dorm. Sometimes, he wanted to be a hyung too.

He peered into Mark’s room. It was empty. The alpha’s bed was unmade, sheets and flat wrinkled and pillow right smack in the middle of the bed because _I don’t sleep with a pillow under my head guys, I’m so cool right?_

Okay, maybe those hadn’t been Mark’s exact words, but that was besides the point.

 _No, Mark, you’re weird_ , Donghyuck had told him the first time he saw Mark sleeping without a pillow quite comfortably. He remembered quite affectionately that the elder had wrinkled his nose, _you don’t have to be so mean, Hyuck_ , and had thrown a small stuffed dolphin that had probably belonged to Chenle in his face.

That had started the first pillow fight he ever had with Mark, and Donghyuck couldn’t help the upward curving of his lips at the memory.

Donghyuck stepped towards Mark’s bed, nose turned upwards involuntarily because _whoa, his scent is everywhere_ and he originally just wanted to pester Mark for hugs and maybe apologize but Mark wasn’t here so Donghyuck supposed his bed had to be the next best thing. His scent was all over it—Donghyuck could pick out the scent of his shampoo specifically because of that one time Mark let Donghyuck run his hands through his hair, along with the fainter smell of his cologne. Sandalwood and something else, Donghyuck recalled, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

But the combination of the two predominant scents was just so Mark, and Donghyuck couldn’t help but fall face forwards onto Mark’s bed and just _inhale_. He curled up, closing his eyes.

Somehow, Donghyuck felt just a little better.

⌯

  
He didn’t realize he had fallen asleep until the door creaked open and light suffused through the room, with only the shadow of a person blocking a part of it. The sleep-addled boy looked to the alarm clock, squinting at the red numbers reading 1:37AM.  
  
Yawning and stretching, Donghyuck blinked sleepily, willing his fatigue to go away so he could speak coherently to the boy he had been waiting for—but alas, life doesn’t work that way so Donghyuck wasn’t even sure his brain-to-mouth filter was working properly yet. Still, he began to speak anyway. “...why did you come back so late?”

Mark set down his bag on the floor. “I’m legal now, so I guess places were exploiting the fact that I was finally of age to work past 10:00PM,” shrugged Mark, shedding his sweatshirt and other articles of clothing he deemed unnecessary for comfort.

Donghyuck liked that Mark hadn’t even questioned why the younger was sleeping in his bed. The heat still left him feeling weak, so he lay back down from his prior sitting position.

And _ugh_. He was feeling all gross and sweaty because his heat and his traitorous omega body decided that, apparently, perspiration should occur tenfold to make omegas’ lives even worse than they already are during heat, and _why would Mark even want to be near me now, I’m a complete mess_ , but Mark still walked over and crouched down, soothing Donghyuck by threading his fingers through his (probably sweat-damp) hair in the way the elder obviously knew he liked.

“You know, I think I’ll just sleep in your bed, since you seem to like mine so much,” Mark started, but Donghyuck simply shook his head, tugging on Mark’s sleeve insistently.  
  
“Stay,” the omega pleaded, looking up at the alpha through his fringe with imploring eyes. Mark couldn’t help but break down for this usually bright, sunny boy in his vulnerability.  
  
“But I might end up kicking you,” Mark argued weakly.  
  
“I don’t care. At least just stay here until I fall asleep,” Donghyuck compromised.  
  
“Okay, if that’s what you really want,” Mark amended, crawling under the covers next to Donghyuck, who shifted over so Mark would have more room. It was an intimate position, but Mark found he didn’t mind it.  
  
“I’m sorry I was so mean earlier,” Donghyuck whispered quietly sometime before he drifted asleep. “I was just really irritable and cranky. You didn’t deserve my dumb bullshit.”  
  
Mark continued carding his fingers through Donghyuck’s hair. “It’s alright,” he hummed. “I already forgave you hours ago. I knew you didn’t mean it.”  
  
“You shouldn’t forgive that easily. That’s the fastest way to get stomped all over,” chastised Donghyuck in a barely intelligible murmur. “And I don’t want that to happen.”

  
“I don’t mind,” he mumbled into Donghyuck’s hair, and the younger could vaguely feel Mark’s breathing against his scalp, “you’d probably murder anyone who tried.”

  
“True,” the omega affirmed. “Fuck secondary gender normativity.”

Mark chuckled quietly. “Maybe you would make the better alpha out of the two of us.”

Doubtful, but the fact that Mark thought so was nice. Donghyuck lightly smacked the closest part of Mark he could reach, which happened to be his torso. “You’re a decent alpha already.”

  
“Thanks, Hyuck.” Mark gently tapped Donghyuck’s nose, and the younger boy chortled quietly. “You’re a great friend, you know that?”

  
“Of course I am.” Donghyuck whispered mock-haughtily. “You know me.”

  
Mark smiled against Donghyuck’s hair tenderly, smelling sweat but also the faint citrusy scent beneath. “Are you sure I know you?”

  
“Ass. We’ve known each other for years now.”  
  
“Language,” Mark chided him, though he obviously didn’t mind. “And I’m a very good person, I’ll have you know. What do you think my worst fault is?” he asked casually.

Donghyuck pretended to think. “How you forgive people too easily. Learn to hold a grudge, Mark.”

(It wasn’t his worst fault, they both knew, and Donghyuck actually believed it was one of his greater qualities. Besides, it was kind of a lie. Mark could hold a pretty mean grudge when he wanted to.)

“Did you want me to hold a grudge against you?”

 

“...no,” Donghyuck grumbled, “but that’s besides the point. You need to harden up a bit.”

  
Mark paused his stroking for a moment. “I think I’m good.” the alpha replied, and resumed running his fingers through Donghyuck’s hair, entangling them through the soft strands.

  
“Agh, I really really want to eat something sweet right now,” Donghyuck complained.

  
“It’s past midnight,” Mark wrinkled his nose, “and didn’t you eat that tub of ice cream earlier?”

  
“Low-fat orange sherbet,” corrected Donghyuck, “and I didn’t even eat all of it.”

  
“Hm,” Mark made a noise of acknowledgement, and their conversation halted for about fifteen seconds before Donghyuck opened his mouth again.

“Hey, Mark—” Donghyuck began uncertainly before Mark cut in.

“Mark-hyung,” tutted the older, to which Donghyuck groaned quietly.

  
“Okay fine, Mark- _hyung_ ,” Donghyuck drew out the hyung purposefully, almost mockingly. “Can you sing me something?”

“You’re definitely the better singer out of the two of us though,” Mark replied wryly as he fiddled with a lock of Donghyuck’s hair. “Why would you want _me_ to sing?”

“Please?” whined the omega pitifully, grabbing hold of Mark’s hand and holding it to his face dramatically. “Pretty please? For your best friend ever?”

  
A sigh. “Only since you asked so nicely,” Mark finally answered, accustomed to Donghyuck’s clingy antics. “What do you want me to sing?”

  
Donghyuck thought for a bit. “Sing Young and Free,” he demanded after a moment’s passing.

Mark furrowed his brow. “But I only rap in that song…?” the older boy trailed off in question.

“Sing Minseok-sunbae’s part. You remember the lyrics, right?” insisted the younger. “Don’t lie.”

  
“I do,” Mark admitted, “but—”

  
The alpha was interrupted. “Then sing, Mark, c’mon.” Donghyuck attempted to persuade in heavily accented English, which Mark rolled his eyes at.

Donghyuck continued to stare at him imploringly, and Mark crumpled like wet paper. “Okay, okay, if it’ll make you feel better.”

“It will,” reassured Donghyuck.

Mark took a deep breath, and exhaled unsteadily. “I’m still not going to be a star singer like you,” he warned, and Donghyuck rolled his eyes, even though Mark wouldn’t see it.

  
“I wouldn’t have asked you if I cared that badly about technique and potential and shit, did I?” Donghyuck snarked back, pinching Mark’s cheek.

Mark batted away Donghyuck’s hand, sighing again in resignation and with a huff of okay, okay. He opened his mouth with much hesitance and cleared his throat awkwardly. “ Young and free, gabyeoun mameuro i gireul naseo...”

  
He paused, and Donghyuck smacked his arm. “Go on, go on. Keep singing.” The omega pinched Mark again, but this time, on his shoulder.

  
Though Donghyuck couldn’t see it, Mark’s face was aflame. “ _You and me, kkeuteomneun gomineun naeryeonogo_.” His voice was slightly shaky, but the younger hardly noticed.

Donghyuck began to hum along softly, and Mark continued on. “ _Everyday, han beonin salmi deo binnadorok…_ ” Donghyuck’s eyes began to flutter shut. “ _S_ _ojunghan geon baro, it’s you, it’s you_.”

 _Honestly, he’s just way too nice for his own fucking good,_  Donghyuck thought, and those words replayed through Donghyuck’s hazy mind again and again along with Mark’s gentle croons of young and free until he eventually fell into a deep slumber. He was sleeping so soundly that he didn’t even notice when the sheets rustled and Mark slipped out, snatching his sweatshirt up and pulling it on quickly before heading to Donghyuck’s own room to sleep on the younger’s vacant bed.  
  
Truthfully, there was no point in putting the sweatshirt back on because Mark pulled it right back off in his sleep anyway. He didn’t notice in the morning that he had left it on Donghyuck’s bed.

⌯

 

In the morning, Donghyuck drifted in and out of consciousness. The first time he woke up, his head was burrowed into Mark’s pillow. As he breathed in, he could feel the warmth and comfort and familiarity, so Donghyuck was easily lulled back to sleep. He figured in the back of his head that Mark had gone to Donghyuck’s room.  
  
The next time, Donghyuck felt something wet and cool placed on his forehead. Either he was just delirious and way out of it, or someone put a cold washcloth on him.

He’d guess a cold compress, but he knew that there were none currently in the dorm, so a washcloth was probably more likely.

But it was a nice and welcome gesture nonetheless, considering he had a headache that was, once again, from his heat.

Donghyuck didn’t stay conscious enough to mull over it any longer than he already had.

The third time, Donghyuck didn’t open his eyes but felt around with his hand to see if Mark was there (he was, surprisingly enough) and took hold of his hand. He could feel Mark almost jump a little in startled surprise, but didn’t try to move his hand out of Donghyuck’s admittedly weak grip. In fact, Mark continued to hold on even as Donghyuck drifted back to sleep and his hand simply lay motionless, knowing that holding Mark’s hand was a subconscious comfort. The feverish feeling Donghyuck had earlier diminished greatly, thanks to the cold washcloth.

By the fourth time he woke up, Mark was gone. Donghyuck reckoned he had somewhere to make an appearance at. His own schedule was still mostly cleared for a couple days for the worst part of his heat, though manager still made him go to dance practice and other less gruelling activities. Since it wasn’t comeback season yet, they could afford it.

Shit, Donghyuck didn’t know what he’d do when comeback season would begin. He always saw Taeyong and the other omegas of the group—not that there were many, since most of them were betas—looking like they went through hell and back. Suppressants were an option, but Ten was vehemently against them and made his opinion quite known.  
  
  
(“They’re not natural. Suppressants mess up your body’s homeostasis and make your hormones go haywire and can possibly stunt your growth. Many other health problems may arise from regular use as well. The risks just aren’t worth it, so you should just let the heat run its natural course,” Ten rambled to Donghyuck one day, but upon seeing Donghyuck’s quizzical expression, he quickly backtracked. “It’s just my opinion, though, Hyuck. If you want to go on suppressants, by all means, go ahead. I just want you to know what you’re getting into. I’d suggest scent-blockers, to mask the heat pheromones, but only when you go out in public. Painkillers are a thing, too.” Donghyuck had only nodded then, not really knowing how else to reply.)

Thankfully, his headache had subsided and decided as a thank you to Mark, Donghyuck would make his bed for him. It was partially his own fault that it currently looked like a mess anyway.

The omega slid out of bed, careful not to mess up the bed anymore than he already had. Hopefully, Mark had a decent sleep in Donghyuck’s bed.

 _He should have_ , thought Donghyuck, _considering I have a memory foam mattress and he doesn’t_. Plus, Donghyuck’s blankets were the soft and fluffy kind, the ones that were perfect for cocooning in. Donghyuck himself could admit to wrapping himself in a burrito on numerous occasions. His pillows were memory foam too, which would be all and well if Mark actually used them for his head.

Donghyuck shook his head as soon as the thought crossed his mind. Even to this day, he still couldn’t wrap his mind around how someone could sleep like Mark did.

It was an endearing part of him, though. Despite his shameless bashing of Mark’s sleeping preferences, Donghyuck did actually find it very cute, especially when Mark was sleeping in a fetus position parallel to the mattress with arms wrapped around a pillow. He even took a picture once, and it was saved to his special folder filled with numerous different pictures of Mark for different occasions that he would never release to the public.

(They were for his eyes only, and maybe some of his hyungs and fellow dreamies. Especially that little rascal Park Jisung, who was a great help in gathering priceless photos. Or maybe not little, considering Jisung was now a whole two inches taller.)

Donghyuck had claimed to Mark it was his folder of blackmail, but that was anything but true. There was honestly no need to blackmail Mark when all he had to do was turn on his aegyo to maximum power in order to get what he wanted. And half the time, all Donghyuck ever wanted from Mark was some friendly skinship or for Mark to buy something for him.

(Most of the time, Mark only succumbed to get Donghyuck off his back and not because Donghyuck was too cute to resist, but he could dream.)

As soon as Donghyuck finished smoothing out Mark’s bed, he went straight for the medicine cabinet to grab aspirin (and scent blockers, just in case). It usually took an hour to fully take effect, so Donghyuck wanted to make sure he was completely free of pain before flinging his body around like a ragdoll at dance practice. He loved dance and all, but he much preferred stress-free dance covers on his own time to learning difficult choreographies in preparation for their next comeback. At least it would be with NCT Dream, so the choreographer would be slightly more kind when it came to corrections.

And after that, he’d have English lessons with Renjun, Jeno, and Jaemin. Their private tutor was kind of an uptight stick in the mud, but they all had long since learned to accept it and move on.

Mark was sure fortunate, already having extensive knowledge of the English language since he was Canadian and all. He was more fluent than any of them could ever dream to be.

Donghyuck figured he’d have time to eat some cereal at the very least until someone got on his case about getting to practice on time. As he poured his cereal and milk and began to eat, a call came from the door.

“Donghyuck!” the said boy recognized it was Doyoung voice talking, “The Dream manager is here for you. Mark is already at the dance room with all the other kids.”

He groaned audibly, making sure Doyoung heard him. “Already, hyung? Isn’t it like, still an hour early?” Donghyuck whined loudly.

“Yes. You should still hurry up.” Doyoung stepped into the kitchen, seeing Donghyuck’s half-eaten bowl of cereal. “Actually, just finish whatever you’re eating and brush your teeth, then head over. I didn’t see you eat anything besides breakfast yesterday.” Disapproval glinted in his eyes, brows knitting together.

Donghyuck simply shrugged. “I wasn’t really all that hungry yesterday.”

Worry was evident in Doyoung’s expression. He took on a pensive face, speaking after a moment of silence. “Tell you what, the kids can wait. I think you need something more substantial in your stomach than just cereal, Hyuck.”

“Hyung, it’s fine—” Donghyuck started, but Doyoung stopped him.

“I’m not a terrible cook, Hyuck, let me make you some eggs. You need protein. How do you want them?” Since Doyoung didn’t seem like he’d budge on the matter, Donghyuck sighed and gave in.

“Sunny-side up, please, hyung,” the maknae requested, “and thank you.”

Donghyuck couldn’t actually remember the last time he ate something Doyoung had made, and while it wasn’t on par with Taeyong’s cooking, Doyoung still made pretty decent eggs. It was a thoughtful gesture, and it warmed Donghyuck’s heart knowing that his hyung really cared.

 

⌯

 

When Donghyuck entered the practice room, the first person he noticed was not Mark, who wasn’t even in the room, but Jaemin, who jumped up from his sitting position on the floor with an accusing finger pointed at him. “You’re late!”

Stupid beta. It was really unfair how Jaemin got to be one while Donghyuck didn’t, he thought mournfully.

“No _way_ , I’m not late,” Donghyuck refuted. “You all were just early.”

“We were waiting an hour for you though!” Jaemin complained, but Donghyuck could tell he wasn’t actually mad. They probably played some games without him while they waited. “Did you at least eat well?”

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Donghyuck demanded. “I’m really fine!”

“Maybe because you barely ate during your first heat, and you looked malnourished and dead on your feet even by the time it ended.” Renjun interjected dryly. Also a beta. Lucky ass. “Did you see yourself? Of course we’d be worried. See, Chenle even brought extra energy bars just in case you came close to collapsing like last time.” Renjun motioned over towards Chenle, who held up the box of energy bars with a grin.

Donghyuck was touched, but seriously, they did not have to. He could Take Care of Himself™ because he was a grown ass adult. “Guys, I can take care of myself,” he said as his cheeks puffed out, “I’m an omega in heat, not an invalid.”

“Yah, yah, Hyuck, chill,” Jeno, who had presented as an alpha like everyone thought he would, held his hands up, a pacifying gesticulation, “it was Mark’s idea.” And he pointed over to Mark, who had just arrived and was in the doorway and was blinking bemusedly. “See, he’s even later than you are!”

Mark chuckled sheepishly. “That’s because I got here before everyone and decided to go back out to the nearest convenience store. I got lucky since no one recognized me, but the line was long,” he explained, and handed a bag to Donghyuck. “I bought some boxes of Pocky for you, Hyuck, since they were on sale. You said you were craving sweets last night, weren’t you?”

Okay, now Donghyuck really was about to cry. Fucking heats making him an emotional mess. His eyes welled up, and he hurriedly attempted to wipe them away on his sleeve.

“Oh my God—Hyuck, I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?” Mark panicked as he saw the first sign of tears beginning in the omega’s eyes. “I didn’t mean to make you cry, are you alright? Are you hurt?” he asked, and Donghyuck shook his head.

“You didn’t make me cry. It’s nothing,” he sniffled. “Stop looking at me!” Donghyuck protested loudly, his voice squeaking slightly, and shielded his face with his hands.

Silently, Jaemin, Jeno, and Renjun all snickered, careful not to let Donghyuck hear. “We’re all watching a K-drama happen right in front of us,” Jeno remarked in a low voice, to which Jaemin burst out into a fit of choked laughter while Renjun muffled another snort into his fist.

Donghyuck and Mark were too preoccupied in their conversation to notice the hushed conversation and laughter going on behind them. “You’re still looking at me!” Donghyuck hissed, peering through the gap between his sweater sleeves, eyes narrowed at Mark.

“Well, what else am I supposed to do?”

“Look away, obviously!” Donghyuck hiccuped, but began to giggle as well. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” he confessed, drying away the remnants of the tear tracks on his face. “I think it’s mood swings.”

Mark decided to opt for a simple nod, not really knowing what else to say in the awkward silence that commenced, until Jisung interrupted them. “Yah, Mark-hyung, Donghyuckie-hyung, we’re starting dance practice now! Hurry up and get over here!”

Donghyuck promptly avoided Mark’s gaze through all of practice out of embarrassment, stubbornly refusing to meet his eyes. However, Donghyuck had forgotten his water bottle, so Mark offered up his. Donghyuck couldn’t exactly reject seeing as his throat was parched and he didn’t want to die of dehydration, so he drank the water as quickly as he could so that he could hand back the bottle as soon as possible.

He tried not to think about how Mark’s mouth had just been on it. They had shared water bottles before. It was fine.

Donghyuck still wasn’t willing look at Mark in the duration of the time that remained of practice.

 

⌯

 

Jaemin and Jeno would not leave him alone during the lesson. Donghyuck was about to combust in his seat as the two whispered conspiratorially around him. Jaemin, as usual, was the instigator.

(At least Renjun was mature enough not to make fun of him.)

“Hyuck, do you really like Pocky that much?” teased Jaemin slyly. “Maybe I’ll get you a box for your birthday.”

“Shut _up_ , Na Jaemin, you’re not funny!” Donghyuck hissed in a low voice, and Jeno was cackling so conspicuously the teacher glared at him. “Not funny!”

“Lee Jeno, mind telling me what is so hilarious back there?”

“Ah, nothing, seonsaengnim!” Jeno responded, donning his best smile in a futile attempt to charm the teacher.

Donghyuck kicked Jaemin’s calf.

“Ow! What the fuck was that for, huh?”

“For being a pain in the ass!”

Renjun threw them a look from the front, and they quieted. Jeno seemed highly entertained, and made no move to indicate whose side he was on.

In his head though, Donghyuck bet he was secretly on Jaemin’s.

After Donghyuck was sure no one was paying attention to him anymore, he lowered his voice. “Do you realize how much dirt I have on you, Na Jaemin?” he threatened. “Because I really do. Remember that time you—”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop!” Jaemin interrupted, jabbing his arm. “You and Mark just have to stop being so fucking dense. I’m tempted to stage an intervention on your behalf. Your crush on him is so obvious, you know. Anyone with a brain can see it.”

Donghyuck was baffled. “What?” _Crush?_

“Oh God, you’re so painful to watch sometimes,” Jaemin groaned. “You know what, forget it.”

“What are you even going on about? There’s nothing between me and Mark—” insisted Donghyuck before the teacher cleared her throat.

“Na Jaemin, Lee Donghyuck! Quiet!” she reprimanded in a shrill voice.

Donghyuck and Jaemin sighed, speaking in unison. “Yes, seonsaengnim.”

 

⌯

 

The car ride back was quiet for the most part, with Donghyuck sitting in the back squished between a sleeping Chenle and Jisung. Chenle chose to use Donghyuck’s shoulder as a headrest, so Donghyuck was forced to remain mostly motionless for the duration of the ride in order not to jostle him. Jisung’s head, on the other hand, was resting on the back of the seat.

Jeno was discussing something with manager-hyung in the front while Jaemin and Renjun shared earbuds and listened to music. Donghyuck himself was left alone to his own thoughts, along with the boxes of Pocky currently sitting in his lap.

Mark had bought him both strawberry and chocolate, because Donghyuck could never decide between the two of them. He was surprised Mark had even remembered what he said the night before, much less something he had mentioned in passing in the few conversations that Pocky came up.

With the arm that was currently free from Chenle’s head, Donghyuck opened both boxes and quietly began munching on them contemplatively. He really had to figure out how to thank Mark.

Donghyuck resolved to at the very least leave a gift for Mark, and grabbed a still-wrapped scented bath bomb out of his basket of toiletries, leaving it on top of Mark’s dresser.

The only indication Mark had used it were the trace amounts of colorful residue left in the tub and the subtle scent of the bath bomb lingering in the bathroom.

It was only one of many heats and many more to come, but as long as Donghyuck had Mark, he thought he’d be alright.

Mark, already half-asleep when Donghyuck decided to invite himself into his bed that night, was too tired to kick Donghyuck out of his bed, much less move to Donghyuck’s bed.

 

⌯

 

A couple nights later, when Donghyuck finally decided to sleep in his own bed again for once, his arm brushed over an article of clothing. He turned on his lamp. As he lifted it up and squinted at it in the light, the omega discovered it was a sweatshirt. It didn’t seem to belong to him, but it was soft and warm and smelled really good, so _I guess it’s mine now_ , and Donghyuck threw it on over his thin T-shirt and pajama shorts.

It was probably Mark’s sweatshirt. Knowing Mark, he probably shed the sweatshirt in his sleep that time he slept in Donghyuck’s bed. But Donghyuck didn’t really care. Mark could take it up with Donghyuck if he really wanted his sweatshirt back.

As he showed up to the common room that morning rubbing the sleep away from his eyes and bundled up in Mark’s sweatshirt, Johnny gave him a quizzical look.

“That’s Mark’s, isn’t it?” Johnny pointed out mildly, and Donghyuck nodded unrepentantly.

“Yep.”

And Mark blinked, mouth formed in a small _o_ shape, clearly at a loss for words. He and Johnny exchanged looks, and Johnny smirked as Mark chuckled in embarrassment. If it was an inside joke, Donghyuck didn’t get it.

He walked over to the couch and gave Mark a (gentle) shove.

“Scoot over, fatso, there’s tons of space.”

Mark complied with a huff of _such a spoiled brat, Hyuck_ , and allowed Donghyuck to sit next to him. Donghyuck grabbed a hold of Mark’s hand and began playing with his fingers, much to Mark’s amused chagrin.

Johnny looked on with a pensive expression.

Even as Mark hung out with Donghyuck again later that day without Johnny’s presence, he didn’t mention the sweatshirt at all. If he noticed Donghyuck wearing the sweatshirt again the next day, he didn’t say anything either.

Donghyuck only gave it back a week later, when Mark’s scent had completely faded, but he found another sweatshirt folded neatly atop his bed the following day. His suspicions were confirmed when he examined it with a sniff and found the same familiar smell redolent of the other boy.

When he donned it this time, Mark’s ears turned redder than the shirt he was currently wearing. Though Donghyuck’s chosen target of affection was Sicheng that day, he still couldn’t help but be conscious of the glances Mark was stealing at him from time to time.

Some time following that affair, when Mark was sitting on the couch again and chewing on a pen with the haphazardly scrawled beginnings of lyrics on a notebook in front of him, Donghyuck decided to stand in front of him with the biggest, saddest, and most pitiful puppy eyes he could muster. Mark exhaled fondly in tired acceptance, spreading his legs and making a _come here_ gesture.

Donghyuck brightened and bounded over, depositing himself between Mark’s legs comfortably.

As he watched Mark’s pen move across the paper in gliding blue ink, going back to scratch words and phrases out to add newer and better ones with eyebrows furrowed in concentration and thought of how cute Mark’s focused expression was, Donghyuck came to a slow realization.

Maybe he really _did_ have a crush on Mark. He liked Mark, but he also _like-liked_ Mark and all his quirks and his attentive consideration and his quick-to-forgive personality and his scent and the way he looked when he was composing lyrics and lost in thought and just his _everything_.

It was like his eyes had just been opened, rose-tinted glasses just been shattered. Maybe subconsciously, he did know in the back of his mind, and was just now becoming cognizant of it. Maybe it was just a buildup of feelings catalyzed by the events spurred on by his heat. Maybe Donghyuck had always liked Mark, and was only now aware of it. Yes, he supposed he did have a crush on Mark after all, just like Jaemin said.

(Donghyuck would never let Jaemin know he was right. There was no need to inflate that pest’s head any bigger than it already was.)

Did Mark feel the same way? Donghyuck had no clue, and he wasn’t willing to try and find out just yet.

Mark stopped writing. “I think I’m going to take a break. Want to take a nap with me, Hyuck?”

Who was Donghyuck to refuse him? “Of course. I’d never turn down a nap.”

Donghyuck repositioned himself so that his head lay on Mark’s chest, and Mark’s arms wrapped around his frame. Being held like this made him feel warm and safe, and Donghyuck’s heart thrummed as his eyes fluttered shut.

They remained in that close, cozy position until Yuta woke them up with a raised eyebrow, _is there something we should know about?_

Donghyuck refuted him casually. He didn’t say anything else, but he knew that Yuta didn’t quite believe him. Mark smiled fondly with sleepy eyes. “Is it time to go?”

Yuta nodded. “Yeah.”

Mark made no effort to remove himself from his position on the couch, however, and Donghyuck was forced to extract himself from Mark’s hold first. “C’mon, Mark, we can take another nap later. Let’s go.”

Perhaps Donghyuck would do something about this crush later, but for now, this relaxed friendship (friendship?) was more than enough.

**Author's Note:**

> pls lmk if the pace was too weird! i found that my writing style kind of shifted as i got closer to the end
> 
> this was the [prompt](https://curiouscat.me/slimequeen/post/453945887?1525489886) by manaal's anon
> 
> also check out [jess's take](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14572470) on the prompt if you haven't already, because imo, she did way better!


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